HMAS Stawell
Template:Use Australian English Template:Use dmy dates
Template:Infobox ship imageTemplate:Infobox ship careerTemplate:Infobox ship careerTemplate:Infobox ship characteristicsHMAS Stawell (J348/M348) was a Template:Sclass named for the town of Stawell, Victoria.<ref name=SPC/> Sixty Bathurst-class corvettes were constructed during World War II, and Stawell was one of 36 initially manned and commissioned solely by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).<ref name=SPC>Template:Cite web</ref>
The corvette later served in the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) as HMNZS Stawell.
Design and construction
Template:Main In 1938, the Australian Commonwealth Naval Board (ACNB) identified the need for a general purpose 'local defence vessel' capable of both anti-submarine and mine-warfare duties, while easy to construct and operate.<ref name=Hindsight1>Stevens, The Australian Corvettes, p. 1</ref><ref name=StevensACV103>Stevens, A Critical Vulnerability, p. 103</ref> The vessel was initially envisaged as having a displacement of approximately 500 tons, a speed of at least Template:Convert, and a range of Template:Convert<ref name=StevensACV103.4>Stevens, A Critical Vulnerability, pp. 103–4</ref> The opportunity to build a prototype in the place of a cancelled Template:Sclass2 saw the proposed design increased to a 680-ton vessel, with a Template:Convert top speed, and a range of Template:Convert, armed with a Template:Convert gun, equipped with asdic, and able to fitted with either depth charges or minesweeping equipment depending on the planned operations: although closer in size to a sloop than a local defence vessel, the resulting increased capabilities were accepted due to advantages over British-designed mine warfare and anti-submarine vessels.<ref name=Hindsight1/><ref>Stevens, A Critical Vulnerability, pp. 103–5</ref> Construction of the prototype Template:HMAS did not go ahead, but the plans were retained.<ref name=StevensACV104>Stevens, A Critical Vulnerability, p. 104</ref> The need for locally built 'all-rounder' vessels at the start of World War II saw the "Australian Minesweepers" (designated as such to hide their anti-submarine capability, but popularly referred to as "corvettes") approved in September 1939, with 60 constructed during the course of the war: 36 (including Stawell) ordered by the RAN, 20 ordered by the British Admiralty but manned and commissioned as RAN vessels, and 4 for the Royal Indian Navy.<ref name=Hindsight1/><ref>Stevens, A Critical Vulnerability, pp. 105, 148</ref><ref name=Donohue29>Donohue, From Empire Defence to the Long Haul, p. 29</ref><ref name=Stevens108>Stevens et al., The Royal Australian Navy, p. 108</ref><ref name=SPC/>
Stawell was laid down by HMA Naval Dockyard at Williamstown, Victoria on 18 June 1942.<ref name=SPC/> She was launched on 3 April 1943 by Mrs. J. J. Dedman, wife of the Minister for War Organisation, and commissioned into the RAN on 7 August 1943.<ref name=SPC/>
Operational history
RAN
The majority of StawellTemplate:'s career was spent in three areas. Initially, she served as a convoy escort along the east coast of Australia.<ref name=SPC/> Following this, Stawell participated in a variety of escort, minesweeping, and combat roles throughout New Guinea waters.<ref name=SPC/> On 3 August 1945 she sank an armed Daihatsu barge in the Moluccas area.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the final third of her career, the ship spent time in Hong Kong waters, performing minsweeping and anti-piracy duties.<ref name=SPC/> Stawell returned to Brisbane in November 1945.<ref name=SPC/>
The corvette received three battle honours for her wartime service: "Pacific 1943–45", "New Guinea 1943–44", and "Borneo 1945".<ref name=newhonours>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=honourslist>Template:Cite web</ref>
RNZN
Stawell was removed from RAN service on 26 March 1946.<ref name=SPC/> On 5 March 1952, Stawell and three other Bathurst-class corvettes (HMA Ships Template:HMAS, Template:HMAS, and Template:HMAS) were transferred to the Royal New Zealand Navy.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
She was commissioned into the RNZN during May 1952 and given the prefix HMNZS.<ref name=Gillett140>Template:Cite book</ref> Stawell operated primarily as a training vessel until 1959, when she was placed into reserve.<ref name=SPC/><ref name=Gillett140/>
Fate
Stawell was sold to Pacific Scrap Limited of Auckland, New Zealand, in July 1968, and was broken up for scrap.<ref name=SPC/>